1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector supporting mechanism, and more particularly, to a connector supporting mechanism for supporting and fixing a pair of female and male mutually connected connectors to a supporting body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a connector supporting mechanism of this kind, there is known a technique as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-21992. This related art has a structure as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. A connecting mechanism of this conventional connector will be explained with using FIGS. 1 to 3 below.
This connector connecting mechanism comprises a holder 2 mounted into a mounting hole 1A formed in a subject member 1 such as a stay member of an automobile as shown in FIG. 1, a first connector 3 which is slidably fitted in the holder 2, a second connector 5 connected to an electronic unit 4, and a swinging lever 6 swingably supported at a pivot 6A by the first connector 3 for driving in a direction to the second connector 5 to the first connector 3.
The holder 2 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape, and includes a pair of upper and lower horizontal plates 7 and 8, and a pair of left and right side plates 9 and 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The holder 2 is inserted into the mounting hole 1A formed in the subject member 1 and fixed therein by fixing means such as screw. The side plates 9 and 10 of the holder 2 are formed at their inner wall surfaces with guide grooves 11 and 12 along the longitudinal direction for slidably guiding the first connector. The horizontal plate 7 is formed with a guide groove 13 with which an engaging pin 6B projecting from an upper surface of a rear end of the swinging lever 6 is engaged and guided. The guide groove 13 comprises an introducing portion 13A rearwardly extending from a front end of the holder 2, an arc driving grove portion 13B extending from an end of the introducing portion 13A rearwardly and inwardly, and a locking groove portion 13C extending from an end of the driving groove portion 13B rearwardly. The driving groove portion 13B guides the engaging pin 6B along an arc as the first connector 3 is inserted into the holder 2. With the motion of this engaging pin 6B, the swinging lever 6 swings.
An engaging groove 6C is formed in a lower surface of a front end of the swinging lever 6. A driven pin 5A projecting from the second connector 5 engages the engaging groove 6C. Another swinging lever 6 is also formed on the other side surface of the first connector 3. Another driven pin 6A (not shown) is also projecting from the other side surface of the second connector such as to correspond to the other swinging lever formed on the other side surface. In FIG. 1, the reference symbol 3A represents a pair of slide projections projecting from a rear end of each of opposite sides of the first connector 3. The slide projections 3A are guided by the guide grooves 11 and 12 formed in the inner walls of the side plates 9 and 10 of the holder 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a temporarily mounting portion 3B for temporarily mounting the first connector 3 into a front opening of the holding is formed between each of the pair of the slide projections formed on both sides of the first connector 3. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a pair of falling-out preventing projections 3C and 3C are projecting from each of the opposite sides of the rear end of upper and lower surfaces of the first connector 3. Falling-out preventing portions 2A are formed on the front end opening peripheral edges of the holder 2 so as to correspond to the falling-out preventing projections 3C and 3C. The projections 3C are fitted into temporarily mounting positions of the holder 2 for preventing the first connector 3 from falling out from the holder 2 by the falling-out preventing portions 2A.
However, according to the connecting mechanism of the connectors, the first connector 3 is supported by the lock arm of the holder 2 mounted to the opening formed in the panel side, but there is an adverse possibility that the first connector 3 is disengaged and brought into a half-fitted state before the first connector 3 is actually fitted due to distortion of the first connector 3 or the like.
Further, according to the connecting mechanism of the connectors, it is necessary to mount the holder 2 to the mounting hole 1A formed in the subject member 1 before the first connector 3 and the second connector 5 are mounted to the subject member 1 such as a stay member of an automobile, and there is a problem that the number of parts is increased. Especially, in the prior art, since the swinging lever 6 is rotated and driven if the engaging pin 6B engaged in the guiding groove 13 of the holder 2 is guided, it is necessary to precisely set size and shape of the guide groove 13 formed in the holder 2.
Further, according to the above-described conventional mechanism, in order to temporarily mount the first connector 3 to the holder 2 at an initial position of the inserting motion, it is necessary to form the temporarily mounting portion on the side of the first connector 3. As a result, it is necessary to form the temporarily mounting projection 2B also on the side of the holder 2 as shown in FIG. 3. In addition, in order to prevent the first connector 3 inserted into the initial position of the inserting motion from falling out from the holder 2, it is necessary to form the falling-out preventing projections 3C on the first connector 3, and to form the falling-out preventing portions 2A also on the side of the holder 2. In the conventional mechanism, since the temporarily mounting mechanism and the falling-out preventing mechanism are formed on each of the members, there is a problem that the mechanisms become complicated. Therefore, according to the conventional connector connecting mechanism, since the number of parts is great and mechanisms are complicated, a mounting space is required, and the mounting operation is complicated. For these reasons, in the conventional engaging mechanism, there is a problem that the costs of parts and operational costs are high.
Further, the temporarily mounting portion 3B formed on the first connector 3 and the falling-out preventing portions 2A formed on the holder 2 are portions which are set such that they are resiliently deformed when the first connector 3 is inserted into the holder 2. There is an adverse possibility that these portion may be bent or damaged by strong external force caused when a wire harness connected to the first connector 3 is handled or when the holder 2 and the first connector 3 are assembled at improper position.
Further, in the conventional connector connecting mechanism, when the first connector 3 is inserted into the subject member 1 such as a stay member of an automobile, it is necessary to fit the engaging pin 6B projecting from the rear end of the swinging lever 6. In the state in which the first connector 3 is inserted into the holder 2 in this manner, since the swinging lever 6 can swing freely, there are problems that some experience is required to insert the engaging pin 6B into the introducing portion 13A of the guide groove 13, and the assembling operation is complicated.